Customer Service Do’s and Don’ts

Providing great customer service is the key to the success of your business. No matter how good your product is, one negative experience is all a customer needs to take their business elsewhere. As a business owner, you need to be taking the right steps to guarantee that customer satisfaction is met. Putting in the effort to deliver excellent customer service will generate trust in your business, and maximize brand loyalty — all of which will result in increased profits.

Here’s an overview of customer service Do’s and Don’ts.

DO own your mistakes. DON’T blame the customer.

No one’s perfect, okay? When you make a mistake (and at some point you will), own it and apologize. Offering a small incentive may even help solidify future business. Providing free shipping or a product discount is a small price to pay for repeat business.

And what happens if the customer is wrong? Shifting the blame on them isn’t going to help. In cases like this, take the high road. Apologize for the confusion, accept responsibility, and offer a solution.

DO provide customer support. DON’T make it overly complicated.

Customers are pretty tech savvy these days, and so customer support must keep up. When a consumer has a question or concern, they want to have easy access to the multiple tools that are available. Providing a phone number and a FAQs page on your website is a good start, but you’ll also want to include a customer support email and maybe even a Live Chat option.

No customer wants to go digging around on your website to find these tools. Having a “Customer Support” button on your homepage will ensure that they’re easily accessible and limit confusion.

DO respond quickly. DON’T neglect customers.

As an e-commerce business, it’s important that consumer questions or concerns are replied too promptly. Customers can quickly become frustrated if their emails remain unanswered and a robot operator is the only voice they hear on the phone.

Make the promise to your customers that all questions will be answered within 24 hours. This will reassure customers that they won’t be left hanging, as well as motivate you and your team to respond within an appropriate window of time.

DO allow for customer feedback. DON’T ignore customer’s remarks.

Make it easy for your customers to leave feedback. Not every customer will have something to say, but they’ll be happy to know you value their opinion enough to give them the option to make remarks.

Once you’ve created a way for customers to send in their comments, be sure to read it! The customers that do contribute feedback will provide you with valid insight about the operations of your business.

DO express gratitude. DON’T be indifferent.

Recognition is one of the best ways to retain customers. Thank them for their purchase, their business, their loyalty — however you want to frame it. But don’t be indifferent. Let them know that their purchase is more than just a transaction. Expressing your gratitude will make customers feel appreciated, which will increase your chances of repeat business.